Bobby D. may be coming along......

[jimispeed]

Robert's Logbook

http://www.robertdoornbos.com/resources/portret4.jpg ROTTERDAM, 23 Feb 2008 - I think the merger between IRL and CCWS is a good thing. It will provide me new chances and opportunities, so it's going to be an interesting period. For now, I'm back for a few days in The Netherlands to visit the finals of the ATP tennis toernament in Rotterdam tomorrow, among others. We keep in touch!

RD

http://www.robertdoornbos.com/resources/signature.gif


Maybe with some decent cars and a better engine package, they'll go to Assen some day.....

[jimispeed]

It could mean just the opposite though, all in how you read it....

He's a good personality though, for open wheel!

[Albert D. Kallal]

Well, that would be really great to see him give this a try. He is really great person, and he became a instant fan favorite overnight in champ car.

I was under the impression that Minardi + Doornbos were not going to make the jump to the IRL this year.

It certainly would be wonderful to these guys try some ovals (and, hey, they get to go to the indy 500!).

The only real problem I can see for him is that his engineer (Mike Cannon) has no experience with the IRL car. At least with the new DP01, all teams were basically at the same level because none of the teams had prior experience with the car.

It is unlikely that even Cannon + Doornbos could become competitive in any way this year against teams that been running that car for years and years. I’m not sure how much Doornbos and cannon will enjoy struggling for a full season of not being competitive.

Perhaps Minardi hires an engineer that has setup experience with the Dallera.

Furthermore, if we believe rumors, long beach will not contribute to these guys learning how to setup and run the IRL car either.

Thus if they’re lucky, they might have one test session here.

Cannon will not have a clue as to how to work this car until very late in the season, and established IRL teams will also CONTINUE to improve during the year. Remember all those teams each year improve over the year before, but tend to stay even since they all are getting better together. About the only solution I can see is if the Minardi hires some engineer who has prior experience, especially for oval setups (Otherwise this will be the blind leading the blind here).

I would love to see Minardi and Doornbos run this year. But, if they do, they are in for a rough year, and will lack the experience needed to be competitive, and I not sure they will enjoy this as a result.

I can remember what a whole year of not being competitive did for Al Unser junior when he ran with Penske’s and they were not competitive. I don’t wanna see anyone go through Unser Jr. did that year ever again.

Albert D. Kallal
Edmonton, Alberta Canada
kallal@msn.com

[bblocker68]

Cannon is way more talented than you give him credit for. I expect to see them both in 2008 and being in the top of the ex-CC teams.

C'mon Robert, make the move!!!!!!!!!!!

[jimispeed]

I don't know if he has any experience in oval racing. But, I do know that he broke a few of Nigel Mansells rookie Champcar records last year, and nearly beat them all.

Plus, he's a great personality!!

[FerrrariF1]

Well if Bobby D and Minardi do run in the TGRL (Tony George Racing League) I may watch the races just because of Bobby D and Minardi as they were my favorites last year however I still wouldn't spend a penny going to the races.

Bobby D has in one year become my favorite open wheeled racer and I have always like Paul S.

[jimispeed]

Well if Bobby D and Minardi do run in the TGRL (Tony George Racing League) I may watch the races just because of Bobby D and Minardi as they were my favorites last year however I still wouldn't spend a penny going to the races.

Bobby D has in one year become my favorite open wheeled racer and I have always like Paul S.


He became a fave of mine as well. Kind of reminded me of a young PT. Only he showed alot of poise right out of the box.

He's a personality with the talent to back it up!!

[gofastandwynn]

.

The only real problem I can see for him is that his engineer (Mike Cannon) has no experience with the IRL car.

I am not quite sure, I know that Roth Racing's effort at Chicagoland last year was made up of mostly Minardi guys

Edit: I can confirm that. From D. Phillips atricle "Vertically Challenged"


Despite the sometimes superheated rhetoric between proponents of both series, there has actually been a modicum of cross-pollination between Champ Car and the IRL over the years. Thus, like a lot of people in Champ Car, Cannon has a pretty good sense of what he and his teammates will be up against.

“We’re under no illusions,” he says. “I had the benefit of helping out Marty Roth and P.J. Chesson last year. (Fellow Minardi engineer) Will Phillips and I went over the Chicago to help then out a bit. Believe me, we have a genuine appreciation of what the IRL teams do.”

Johnson also knows whereof he speaks, having run Team Rahal’s 2002 Indy 500 program for Champ Car stalwart Jimmy Vasser. They attended a couple of IRL tests and competed at the California Speedway race in preparation for the Month of May, and still bit off perhaps more than they could chew.

“We were trying to get ourselves up to speed with the Dallara,” he says. “We had a pretty darned good engineering staff at Rahals and I’ll be honest with you, we went to a couple of tests, we went to the Fontana event and we couldn’t hit our butt with both hands. It took us three weeks in May to get a grasp on it and we still ended up qualifying 19th – and that was with a pretty good group and a pretty fair oval driver in Jimmy. So I have no false expectations of what we can or can’t do.”